Rotary internal-combustion engine.



N, K. ALTHAUSE.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYII. I917.

1,282,518, Patented 001;. 22, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Ewmtw N. K. ALTHAUSE,

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION IILED MAY 11. 1911.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

NORMAN K. ALTHAUSE, OF NEW YORK, N-aY.

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

, following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide certain improvements in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts of a rotary internal combustion engine, whereby greatly improved results may be ob- I tained from its operation.

A practical embodiment of my invention 'is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 represents an end elevation of the inlet end of my improved internal combustion engine,

Fig. 2 represents a transverse taken through the inlet chamber,

Fig. 3 represents a detail horizontal section taken in the plane of the line HI-IH of Fig. 1,'1ooking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal section taken in the plane of the line IVIV, of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. l

Fig. 5 represents a transverse section taken in the plane of the line VV of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 represents a transverse section taken in the plane of the line VT-VI of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 represents a section taken in the plane of the line VHVII of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the -Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the ZIII'OVS.

The engine is denoted by 1, its compressor by 2, and a coupling for connecting the engine and compressor by Specification of Letters Patent.

transverse section recesses 32,

Patented (Oct. 22, 1918.

Application filed May 1917. Serial No. 167,984.

The engine is composed of a casing having end plates, 4, 5, and a cylindrical wall 6, in the present instance formed integral with the end plate 4, and held in snug engagement witlrthe end plate 5 by bolts 7.

A hub 8 is secured to the end-plate 4 by bolts 9, in which hub is mounted one end of a shaft 10. A loose ring 11 is located within the casing and is supported by antifriction rollers 12. In the present instance three are shown, so that the ring is eccentric to the shaft 10. Each ofthe rollers is mounted within the casing as follows: Two bases 13, 14, are provided with uprights 15, 16, between which the roller 12 is mounted on an axle 17. These bases 13, 14, are

. overlapped and secured together by suitable screws 18, 19.

" To yieldingly hold the rollers against the periphery of the ring 11, I provide the bases 13, 14, with depending lugs 20, 21. which enter sockets in plugs 22, 23, screwed into the cylindrical wall 6 of the casing.

Springs 24, 25, are interposed between the lugs 20, 21. and the bottoms of the sockets in the plugs.

A piston 26 having a cylindrical periphcry 18 fixed to the shaft 10 concentric with the inner wall of the casing and eccentric to K the loose ring 11, with the periphery of the rods 31 which pass through the shaft and .into recesses 32, 33, in the piston wings.

Springs 32*, 33 are interposed between the ends of these rods 31 and the bottoms of the 33, for holding the outer ends of the piston wings in engagement with the inner wall of the loose ring 11.

Theloose ring 11 is held in position befit tween end plates 34, 35, fixed to the opposite i ends of the piston.

The piston 26 is provided with a peripheral inlet port 36 communicating with a longitudinal inlet port 37 immediately to the rear of the piston wing 27, and a similar peripheral inlet port 38 and longitudinal inlet port 39 immediately to the rear of the piston wing 28. This piston 26 is further provided with a peripheral outlet port 40' and a longitudinal outlet port 41 immediately in front of the piston wing 27, and a similar peripheral outlet port 42 and longt tudinal outlet port 4-3 immediately in front of the piston wing 28, as shown in Fig. 5. The longitudinal inlet ports 37, 39, open 7 through the piston and the end plate 3 4%, and

yieldingly held in engagement with the end F plate 35 by means of a spring 48 housed in a recess L8 in the hub 8 and held against rotation by the end plate 4. The port 47 is arranged in position to register with the longitudinal. outlet ports 41, 43, as the piston is rotated, I

A. suitable packing ring &9 is located between the disk 4.4: and the end plate 5, to prevent leakage of gas therebetween. A similar packing ring 50 is also located between the disk 4:6 and the end plate at to insure against leakage therebetween. V

A pipe 51 is in communication with the outlet port 47 to carry off the combusted gases.

The compressor is similar in construction to that ofthe engine previously described and comprises a casing having. end plates 52, 53, and a cylindrical wall 54 formed integral with the end plate 52 and held in engagement with the plate 53, by bolts 55.

A hub 56 is secured by bolts 56* to the end plate 52 in position to receive the shaft 10. A loose ring 57 is located within the "casing and is supported by antifriction rollers 58 constructed and operated similar to the rollers 12 of the engine.

A piston 59 having a cylindrical periphery is fixed to the shaft 10, concentric with the inner. wall of the casing and eccentric to the loose ring 57, .with the periphery of the piston at its bottom in engagement with the inner wall of the ring opposite its support on the bottom rollers 58. This piston is also provided with oppositely arranged piston wings 60, 61, fittedto slide radially in recesses 62, 62*. These wings are furthermore, guided by rods 63 which pass through the shaft and into recesses 64, 65, in the piston wings. Springs 66, 67, are interposed between the ends of these rods and the bottoms of the recesses 64, 65, for holding the outer ends of the piston wings in engagement with the inner wall of the loose ring 57.

The loose ring is held in position between end plates 68, 69, fixed to the" opposite ends of the piston. The piston 59 is provided with a peripheral inlet port communirating with a longitudinal inlet port 71 immeasure the piston and end plate 68, and the longitudinal outlet ports 75, 77, open through the piston and end plate 69.

A disk 78 having an inlet port 79 is fixed in the end of the plate 68 and arranged in position to register withthe longitudinal inlet ports 71, 73, as the piston is rotated. This disk is yieldingly held in engagement with the end plate 52 by means of a spring '80 housed in a recess 81 in the hub 56. A similar disk 82 having an outlet port 83 is yieldingly heldin engagement with the end plate 69, by means of the spring 90 housed in the recess in the coupling 3. The port 83 is arranged in position to register "with the longitudinal outlet ports 75, 77, as the piston is rotated. The combustible gases are directed to the inlet port 79 in the disk 78 from a mixing chamber (not shown), of

any well known and approved form, through a pipe 84:. y

The coupling 3 is provided with a passage 85 which forms a firing chamber and has an ignition device 86 located therein, which is operated from a source of power (not shown) in the usual manner. This coupling 3 is secured to the end plates 5 and 53 by bolts 87, so that the passage 85 will connect the outlet port 88 in the disk 82 with the inlet port'45 in the disk 44.

To protect both the engine and its compressor frombecoming over-heated, a cooling medium may be circulated through the chambers between the loose rings and the casings by pipes 88, 89, which may be-connected to a suitable reservoir or container (not shown), for the cooling medium.

The operation of the engine and its compressor is as follows: When the parts are in the position shown in the several figures, the port longitudinal inlet 73 is about toopen and suck gas from the mixing chamber (not shown), through the inlet pipe 84. and port 7 9, and the longitudinal outlet port 77 closed by thedisk 82. As the piston 59 is.

rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 9, the port 73 will remain open to take gas for approximately one half of its revolution, whereupon the port 73 will close on the disk78. The further movement of the piston 59 will cause the piston wings 61 to compress the gas until the longitudinal outlet port 77 registers with the outlet port 83 in the disk 82 when the compressed gas -are discharging gas from the compressor,

meat is will pass into the passage 85in the coupling 3. Simultaneously with the opening of the port 77 to the passage 85, the inlet port 37 will register with the port 15in the disk 4 i sion of which will strike the piston wing 27, and force thepiston in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 5, until the outlet port 4:3 registers with the outlet port 47 in the disk 4:8, where the spent gas will escape through the pipe 51. It will be understood that while I have described the operation of only one side of the piston of both the engine and its compressor, I wish it understood that the ports upon the other side will operate in the same manner. The ports in the compressor are so arranged that while the intake port on one side of the piston wingsis taking gas, the outlet port on the opposite side is discharging compressed gas into the passage 85 in the coupling. At the same time the ports the inlet ports of the engine open to receive the compressed gas, which is ignited upon each closure of the discharge ports of the compressor, and approximately at the time the gas in the firing chamber is ignited, the outlet port opens to the exhaust. Thus it will be seen that at every cycle of the shaft,

two charges of gas will be taken in, compressed, ignited and exhausted.

What I claim is: I F

1. A rotary internal combustion engine and compressor, said compressor comprising a rotary piston having radially sliding oppositely arranged wings, a piston shaft, a loose piston ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring to form two piston chambers, rollers for supporting the ring with its inner wall in engagement with the periphery of the piston at one point, inlet and outlet ports in the piston for controlling the admission, compression and feeding of the gas to the engine and a firing chamberinterposed between the outlet port of the piston and the engine.

2. A .rotary internal combustion engine and a compressor, said com ressor comprising a rotary piston, its sha t, a'loose piston ring, means for supporting the ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring, radially sliding wings engaging the inner wall of the ring, a disk having an inlet ort, a second disk hav-' ing an outlet port, said disks being arranged to engage said end plates, and oppositely disposed inlet and outlet ports in the piston and end plates adapted to coact with said ports in the disks for controlling the admis-' sion and feeding of the gas to the engine.

3. A rotary internal combustion engine and a compressor, said compressor, comprising a rotary piston, its shaft, a loose piston ring, means for supporting the ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring, radially sliding wings engaging the inner wall of the ring, a disk having an inlet port, a second disk having an outlet port, said disks being arranged to engage said end plates, oppositely dis posed inlet and outlet ports in the piston and end plates adapted to coact with said ports in the disks for controlling the admission and feeding of the gas to the engine and a firing chamber interposed between the second disk and the engine.

4:. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising a rotary piston having radially sliding oppositely arranged wings, a piston shaft, a loosepiston ring eccentric to the shaft, piston endplates overlapping the ends of the ring to form two piston chambers, rollers for supporting the ring with its inner wall in engagement with the periphery of the piston at one point, inlet and outlet ports in the piston for controlling the admission and discharge of the gas, a rotary compressor for controlling the admission of the gas to the engine, and a firing chamber interposed between the inlet port of the engine and the compressor. a

5. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising a rotary piston, its shaft, a loose piston ring, means for supporting the ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring, radially sliding wings engaging the inner wall of the ring, a fixed disk having an inlet port, a second fixed disk having an outlet port, said disks being arranged to engage said end plates, oppositely disposed inlet and outlet ports in the 1 piston and end plates adapted to coact with said ports in the disks and a rotary compressor' for controlling the admission of gas to the engine.

6. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising a rotary piston,-its shaft, a loose piston ring, means for supporting the ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring, radially sliding wings engaging the inner wall of the ring, a fixed disk having an inlet port, a second fixed disk having an outlet port, said disks being arranged to engage said end plates,

oppositely disposed inlet and outlet ports in comprising a rotary piston its shaft, a loose piston ring, piston end plates overlapping piston, rollers for supporting the ring eccentric to the piston and it's shaft for controlling the admission of gas to the engine, and a firing chamber interposed between the engine and the compressor in position to connect the inlet port of the engine with the outlet port of the compressor.

8. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising a rotary piston having radially sliding oppositely arranged wings, a piston shaft, a loose piston ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring to form two piston chambers, rollers for supporting the ring with its inner wall in engagement with the periphery of I the piston atone point, inlet and outlet ports in the piston for controlling the admission and discharge of the gas, a rotary compressor comprising a rotary piston having radially sliding oppositely arranged wings,

- a piston shaft, a loose piston ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring to. form two plston chambers, rollers for supporting'the ring with its inner wall in engagement with the periphery of the piston at one point, inlet and outlet ports in the piston for controlling the admission of gas to the engine, and a firing chamber interposed between the engine and compressor in position to connect the inlet port of the engine with the outlet port of the compressor.

9. A rotary internal combustion, engine comprising a rotary piston, its shaft, a loose piston ring, means for supporting the ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates over lapping the ends of the ring, radially sliding piston wings engaging the inner wall of the ring, oppositely disposed inlet and outlet 7 ports in the piston for controlling the admission and discharge of the gas, a rotary compressor comprising a rotary piston, its shaft, a loose piston ring, means for supporting the ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring, radially sliding piston wings engaging the inner wall of the ring, oppositely disposed inlet and outlet ports in the piston for controlling the admission of gas to the engine, and a firing chamber interposed between the engine anti compressor in position to connect the inlet esa-51s port of the engine with the outlet port of the eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlanning the ends of the ring, radially sliding wings engaging the inner wall of the ring, a

fixed disk having an inlet port, a second fixed disk having an outlet port, said disks being arranged to engage said end plates, oppositely disposed inlet and outlet ports in the piston and end plates adapted to coact with said ports in the disks, and a rotary compressor comprising a rotary piston, its shaft, a loose piston ring, means for supporting the ring eccentric to the shaft,*"piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring, radially sliding wings engaging the inner wall of the ring, a fixed disk having an inlet port, a second fixed disk having an outlet port, said disks being arranged to engage said end plates, oppositely disposed inlet and outlet ports in the piston and end plates adapted to enact with said ports in the disks for controlling the admission of gas to the engine.

11. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising a rotary piston. its shaft, a loose piston ring, means for supporting the ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring, radially sliding wings engaging the inner wall of the ring, a

fixed disk having an inlet port, a second fixed disk having an outlet port, said disks being arranged to engage said end plates, oppositely disposed inlet and outlet ports in the piston and end plates adapted to coact with said ports in the disks and a rotary compressor comprising a rotary piston, its shaft, a loose piston ring,-means for supporting the ring eccentric to the shaft, piston end plates overlapping the ends of the ring, radially sliding wings engaging the inner walls of the ring, a fixed disk having an inlet port, a second fixed disk having an outlet port, said disks being arranged to engage said end plates, oppositely disposed inlet and outlet ports in the piston and end plates adapted to coact with saidports in the disks for controlling the admission of gas to the engine and a firing chamber interposed between the engine and compressor in position to connect the first named disk of the engine with the second named disk of the compressor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention. 1 have signed my name this 9th day of May, 1917.

NOR-MAN K. ALTHAUSE- 

